please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Venue: Emirates Stadium Sunday, March 1st 2015 KO Time: 14.05 BST please log in to view this image Head to Head Against Everton FC: Played: 191 Wins: 94 Draws: 42 Losses: 55 Goals For: 313 Goals Against: 230 Goal Difference: 83 Last 6 Meetings: Everton 2-2 Arsenal Everton 3-0 Arsenal Arsenal 4-1 Everton (FA Cup) Arsenal 1-1 Everton Arsenal 0-0 Everton Everton 1-1 Arsenal please log in to view this image Arsène Wenger has revealed the latest team news updates ahead of Sunday's game against Everton: on Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini... They come back into normal training today and tomorrow. They are nearly there, not completely there. From Wednesday night I don’t think we have lost anybody. We have no major problems. on Jack Wilshere... Jack Wilshere had a little surgery to take his two buttons off his ankle because they were irritating him but it’s a very minor procedure. He’ll be out for a few days. on it just removing discomfort... Yes. It was irritating his ankle and they had to take it off. on whether it’s another setback for Jack... No, it was planned to be done at the end of the season. But because he had an irritation with it, we decided to do it now. It’s a few days. on whether he’ll be available next weekend... Next weekend will be a bit quick. I don’t know exactly. It’s days, not weeks. on Abou Diaby... The only thing I must say is that he progresses well in training. He goes step by step but he has not played yet and is not in a position to play yet. on Arteta and Debuchy… They are still a few weeks away. on if Gabriel could play v Everton… I have not made any decision yet for Sunday’s game. We will have to rotate a little bit, because we play Sunday and Wednesday. There will certainly be some changes. Starting XI: please log in to view this image
Need a big ****ing response. Need to drop some players after the poor display and because we need to utilize our squad depth
How can you keep Gibbs and Bellerin? Both were poor. Monreal and Chambers for me, and as bad the BFG was, I'd still play him again. Down the middle I will go with Cazorla-Rosicky, Sanchez and Theo on the wings, and Giroud up front. Too big of a risk to put Wilshere-Rosicky in midfield, Wilshere been out for months, and then when's the last time Rosicky was paired up with Wilshere? Too fresh and new against a team like Everton at this stage of the season.
Mainly I'm scared that Everton will put Lukaku on the wings and I remember how he humiliated Monreal at Goodison last season but this is just me in panic mode. I'll post a much better and rational team tomorrow when I clear my head. ****ing lads broke me today.
Ozils been our best player since returning from injury, I'd definitely have him in the team. Some players need to be dropped for sure though.
Half the squad looked knackered against Monaco. Granted it was a poor performance but still I don't want to run our players into the ground already. Hell that was why I was considering playing Rosicky over one of Ozil and Cazorla and switching some of the wingers for Monaco. Coupled with some poor performances, I expect some changes to be made for Sunday and the QPR game as well. On the Ozil issue he's been one of our best players since his return but he had a dreadful game. Santi's been good too but he also had a below average game (granted that can be said for the entire team)
I agree we need to make some changes not just to show those who performed badly that they need to do better but to rotate and freshen things up. In hindsight we should have played Rosicky to shore up our midfield.
I'd play the same 11 who disgraced themselves against Monaco.It will give them a chance to redeem themselves for their pathetic display.
Why should we? We aren't a charity and they get paid far too much to get chances, especially when we have other players waiting to play. I want Wenger to show a little ruthlessness and replace players if others are performing pathetically. We have a much better squad and quality of players and we should use them. Competition is healthy!
Actually this is the second time in a short period of time that the team hasn't stood up and be counted. First against Spurs and the second time here. How can you not be up for it in two big occasions? On both occasions we lacked intensity and in both we played well under par. What is worrying me is they appear to struggle against supposed lesser opposition. We should be better than this but we are struggling to maintain an sort of run. We have our best squad in a long while yet I've seen us play some of our worst football. Something is just not right with this team.
If you look at our team's reaction from a defeat in Europe, normally it isn't very good. I really do think we may drop points against Everton as the players might sulk and feel sorry for themselves. Hope I'm wrong.
Hopefully the players don't feel sorry for themselves on Sunday, it's Wenger's job to lift them up and let them know they have a job to do. It's a totally different competition now so what happened on Wednesday has no bearing on this game or competition.
Ozil has what 3-4 goals and the same number f assists in a handful of games since returning from injury. He's been given the motm on the televised game and voted in basically everyone's top three players for every game since he's been back by everyone who's voted on the motm thread on here. Are you seriously saying you don't think ozil has been one of our best players since returning from injury? He's stolen the lime light, no idea what team your watching. Cazorla I think has been one of our best players this season, probably the best performances since Sanchez slowed down a little. Very important player for us. No idea how that takes away from just how good ozil has been since recovering from injury. Yesterday the whole team weren't good enough.
Best player or one of the best players? Make your mind up which one you're insinuating and stick to it. He's been very good yes, against some quite poor opposition. He hasn't helped us beat either of the two 'slightly better than pap' teams we've played in the last month or so though. For a £42m man he needs to take games by the scruff of the neck and make things happen (like Sanchez often does). He's a luxury player who looks a worldy in teams that are already class and winning. Put him in a dogfight of a match with teammates around him who don't play well (a la Spurs and Monaco) and he isn't able to win games for his team. The very best in the world win games for their teams... Ronaldo, Messi, Suarez, Bale, Hazard, Sanchez. For £42m I expect that from him, and he doesn't do it. I'm not saying he's not very good... he clearly helps us with assists and goals, just not when the going gets tough... I'm saying we got mugged off from Real for paying £42m for him.
Personally I think since his return from injury he's been our best player shortly followed by Cazorla, then giroud with Walcott being very productive in that time too but not up to proper fitness. Overall for the season Sanchez has clearly been our best player with Cazorla in second. Not going to get into the player value debate though!
Debating players is irrelevant anyway. Class players come and go, cr@p players come and go... we achieve the same. Ozil could play for us amazingly for years and we'd finish 3rd or 4th... we could sell him and we'd finish 3rd or 4th. He's not the deciding factor.
One thing I've noticed that's recently been brought to light is our balance in terms of Full-Backs, a factor in 2 of the 3 goals scored. Gibbs and Bellerin are much mor attack oriented than their counterparts in Monreal, Debuchy and Chambers. We can't play the former 2 together because they push up too much at the same time. And we can play 2 of the latter 3 together but they will be more on the cautious side. IMO I feel we play Monreal then we should play Bellerin but if we play Gbbs then it has to be Chambers. Feel that'd give us the right balance as the more defensive minded FB will sit back when the other one eventually roams forward giving us more defensive solidity on the counter.
